MetricChapel Hill, NCCary, NC
Population61,607179,306
Median Household Income$85,989$134,905
Median Rent$1,613/mo$1,738/mo
Median Home Value$613,700$580,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)9898
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income57.4%36.9%
Poverty Rate18.6%5.7%
Unemployment Rate3.7%3.1%
Violent Crime Rate /100k8675
Property Crime Rate /100k1,779966
Median AQI—43
Good AQI Days /yr—250
Summer Highs88°F87°F
Winter Lows33°F33°F
Snowfall3 in/yr5 in/yr
Avg Commute19.5 min22.5 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 55.0 / 5
Students per Teacher13.116.2
College Degree Rate76.6%70.5%
Foreign-Born %15.3%23.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.1%+5.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.